Braving
by Katriona Vespera
Summary: EDIT: I decided to change the format of this story to one person's P.O.V. Daciana is transported into the Zexal universe and regressed back into a 13-year old girl. But why is she there? Who brought her there? As she navigates through this world, Daciana realizes that not everything is as how the anime depicted it, probably for the worst. New Numbers and manga characters!
1. Number 1: And So It Begins

~Chapter 1~

I turn back a little and sigh sharply. The Siberian husky pup is right up at my calf, panting and wagging its tail. It's 6:10 in this frigid, February morning. My interview's at 10. If I stay here any longer, I'll miss my bus. And the timetables between the bus and train are out of sync. It's like someone has intentionally constructed this system that encourages losing hours of sleep to catch one bus or train. Because if you're late for one you're late for the entire commute, no matter how much commitment you put into being early.

But it's not like this dog has any of those worries, stretching its copper and white body back with its bright, blue-silver gaze concentrated on me. But when I look at the long scar over its left eye for too long, I feel this uncomfortable pool of warmth in the pit of my stomach.

A powerful gust rushes down Middle Country Road, freezing my legs that are barely protected by a thin layer of stockings. The dog whimpers as it runs and pushes its body against my leg. I raise a brow. Aren't huskies supposed to be used to the cold? Or maybe it's lonely. Out of all the dog breeds, Siberian huskies are my favorite. However, they're smart enough to pretend to be good, obedient dogs, when in reality they rather do their own thing. That's probably it. This dog's kissing up to me to get me to take care of it or something. I continue to walk down the road, but the husky whines with a high pitch towards the end.

"Stay!" I command coldly. The husky flattens its ears and sinks low towards the ground his its body raised upward, but doesn't turn back to its dry cardboard box a couple of yards away. Nonetheless, I continue down the empty road. I got no time for this. I have a future to keep in mind.

I manage to catch the bus besides the Home Depot, thanks to a homeless woman berating the bus driver for something – I don't really care what. The bus arrives at Ronkonkoma a half hour later and the sun peeks over the parking lot on the other side of the station. I brace myself for the incoming rush of cold air, and push through to the front of the wooden, Wild West station where the Dunkin Donuts is. The 7:10 train to Penn Station wouldn't come for another thirty minutes, so I might as well get something to eat.

The line extends to the far end of the counter with other early risers. I join the line, feeling that I would figure out what I want by the time I reach the register. After a few minutes, I do reach the register, order an Angus Steak and Egg Sandwich with an iced caramel macchiato, and then go over to the counter behind the line to pick up my order. While waiting my gaze fall towards the right entrance of the shop, my brows knitted when I see the husky from earlier sitting patiently by the doors. How the hell did it get here? We stare at each other for a while until the lady behind the counter delivered my food. I make my way to the opposite entrance that faced the tracks, looking back once to see if the dog would react. It sits there like a statue, its gaze following me. The train to Penn Station just arrived and I pace down the platform towards the right end until I find a car with mostly empty seats. A few minutes later, it leaves.

The ride itself is uneventful. The cars were almost empty up until the train pulls up at Huntington, where people flood in a fill up most of the seats. Not mine for some reason. Sometimes my overly imaginative mind rushes to think that these people are avoiding me because I always look sad or emotionless, or because they have no idea what to assume of me when they see my baby, caramel face.

Not this time though because I can't stop thinking about the dog. There aren't any announcements or complains about there being a stray dog roaming the aisle or anything like that. But the kind of behavior it has displayed reminds me of how movies use creepy white children to foreshadow a foreboding event in the future. Coming to that conclusion makes my heart pound hotly and slowly as lava pouring down a volcano. The fact that we – my family – don't have our own home makes the thought even worse.

I breathe a steady stream of air and put on my earphones to calm myself down – right when the train pulls over at Penn Station. The time is 9:10 a.m. when I check my iPod, waiting for the passengers to scoot out the car. I speed through the crowd to the 1 train, riding it three stops downtown to 18th Street.

The CVS where I would have the interview is a block away from the station. I enter the sterile-looking store composed. A girl around my age greets me and I ask her where the interview will be conducted. She puckers her lips in thought before calling out to a coworker down the hair products aisle about the location of the interview. I'm guessing she's new. The coworker says interviews are normally conducted downstairs in the stock room and he tells me to use the elevator to get there.

In the gray storage room, there are crates upon crates of products this store sells upstairs, which makes me feel uneasy. Is it okay for interviewees to be here? Won't they be concerned about people stealing their stuff? I want to return to the surface, not wanting to be implicated in some supposed crime. But before I could turn back, a petite Indian woman calls out to me from behind the divider towards the opposite left corner of the room. She asks me if I'm here for an interview and I reply in the affirmative.

"Oh ok, nice to meet you! I'm Davina." She holds her hand out.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Daciana Tanzer," I reply with an award-winning smile, firmly shaking her hand.

Davina invites me in, rushing to take out a chair for me to sit. She's pleased with my early arrival and explains that she will need time to set up properly. While she's doing that, hopefully more people will come. Then, she disappears behind the divider.

The interview doesn't start until fifteen after. By that time, three other women walk in and wait along with me. Davina calls on me first and we exchange formal greetings once more. The interview begins and she asks me typical interview questions – why do I want this job, what makes me stand out from the rest of the applicants, what can I offer to this business. I smile and spout sugary, buttery nonsense. Fake it 'til you make it, like what Genevieve always say. And with that, the interview ends on a positive note, the two of us exchanging farewells and the best of luck surviving the cold. I go to school, my day continuing as normal.

I return to Ronkonkoma. It's 5:58 pm, but I pump my fists when I see that the 5:53 6A bus to Coram came late! In any other circumstance I would have to wait until 7pm to catch the final bus. The bus ride is quiet and relaxing, thanks to the driver turning off the interior lights during the mostly undisturbed drive. I disembark at Coram Plaza and move around the perimeter of the large plaza until the sidewalk ends, leading up to a small dirt path, and then to the side of the road. Against my will, I find myself looking for the Siberian husky. Did it make it back here? Or was I imagining things before? When I reach the box halfway through the road, I find it empty. Not sure what to think, I assume that someone else might've taken the dog to a vet or shelter.

A half hour later, I arrive home to my sister's house and see Genevieve and my little brother Dante in the living room, both of them absorbed into their laptops (well, Dante's on mine) to notice me. I say hello a little more assertively and Dante responds lazily as usual. Gen is still silent. I shrug, making my way to the kitchen to wash my hands and find something to eat. She's probably immersed in her schoolwork and probably hasn't slept since she came from work this morning. But then why would she choose to come down to Coram today of all days? I open the fridge: protein shakes, a jar of duck sauce, two carton of eggs, baking soda, and a medium pot half full with rice; then the cupboards: canned shit, mac 'n cheese, and Nutella (but there's no bread). Nothing to eat.

"Daciana, come here."

My body freezes. The cool, detached tone in her words is causing the adrenaline to pump through my veins. An ache duly hammering my head. I swallow, and move within my mother's presence. She continues typing in her laptop as if she never called me, but I wait, using the time given to me to calm down. What's wrong?! What did I do now? I don't remember doing anything wrong!

"Earlier today a young man came by asking for you. Do you know anything about this?" She leaves a gap of silence hanging in the air.

"I don't know anything about a guy," I say. "What did he look like?" But Gen remains silent, as if I should figure it out myself and dig my own grave.

I search my mind for an answer. I don't even know any guy from around here. Unless…maybe it was that guy that works at the Stop & Shop in the plaza who had offered to hang out with me. But there's no way he could've known where I live.

"Don't you see the situation we're in?," Gen says, her voice stern and controlled, yet sounds like her anger will burst out anytime soon. "You have no business looking for boys! Get a job!"

"Gen, I –"

She stands abruptly, almost knocking down her laptop, and jabs her index finger at the bridge of my nose. "Don't call me that! I'm your mother! Don't talk to me like you're bigger than me."

"Gen!," I insist, swatting her hand away. Anger's boiling underneath my skin, but I tighten my fist to will the emotion back from surfacing. Because I don't know how much more of this crap I can take. "You know that I don't go around looking for guys. Hell, I don't even leave the house that often. Like fuckin' really, Gen -"

" _Don't_ use that language on me like I'm your friend! When you get some friends, go do that with them, but not with me."

The room's quiet, except for the deafening ringing in my ears. My right fist is itching to do something, but all I'm allowed to do is stare stoically at my mother's ugly, angry face.

"Y'know, you'd think after all these years I've been stuck with you that you'd know me by now. But you don't. Anything bad that's said about me, you'd believe in an instant. And any good I do, any achievement I reach, you just brag about them as if they're your own. Just to puff yourself up. And yet, you expect it to just… _not_ affect me in any way. Sorry, but I'm not that numb -"

Gen turns away and goes into the kitchen, not bothering to hear the rest of my rant. I don't bother calling after her. I'm tired of pretending to be nice, pretending that I care.

I move towards the door, grabbing my phone and my iPod and putting on my jacket.

"Daci," Dante addresses me quietly. "The man Mom was talking about. Maybe it's just me, but he sort of looks like Vergil."

I inhale sharply without thinking. Daddy was here? Before I could get a chance to see him? But there's no way he could've known where we we're staying now. None of us has spoken to our grandparents ever since we were kicked out of our apartment – and even then, I was too shy to speak to my father when he did call. But if somehow this is all true, then it's no wonder why Gen was adamant about not telling me anything. She probably doesn't believe it either.

Dante stops drawing on his art tablet and turns where he sits towards me. "You still have photos of him, right? He had copper hair and his eyes kinda look grey. But the weird thing about it is that he looks…much younger than Mom – not a wrinkle on his face or a gray hair in his head. Like, isn't Mom fifty-one?"

I nod to myself with a slight smile, acknowledging this piece of information. But I didn't care how weird it sounds. It'd be nice to see my father again the same way I last saw him. With life reverting back to how it was before he left. He probably came by to make up for the fact that he left us without any financial or emotional support. And to fix and bring our family back together!

"Where do you think you're going?" Gen emerges from the kitchen with a white mug of tea.

I turn to Gen squarely, my head raised a little. "I'm going out."

She sits back on the couch and carefully sips her tea. "It's cold outside. Don't you want a scarf or a hat to wear?" Her tone's calm and inflected with sweetness. It usually means that our fight has been forgotten, like all the other fights we've had.

"I'll be okay. I won't be out for long anyway."

I untangle my earphones, put them on, and leave the house. The strong winds this night are more frequent than they were this morning. I don't let the extra cold bother me, as long as I can stuff my hands deep in my pockets for warmth and pull my furry hoodie over my ears. I follow the sidewalk lit with white street lights out of Homestead Village and cross the road past the security post down the long, tundra-like block of Homestead Drive.

The music switches from the serene dark lyrics of _All Good Things Come To An End_ by Nelly Furtado to the ethereal hurricane that is _Soundshower_ by Karl Future and Brother Simon. I scoff with a stupid smile as I make the turn down Middle Country Road with a more confident and poised gait. Geez, I think I'm still a little gushing from hearing about my father.

The lit sign by a Catholic organization center has changed; I notice every time it does because it's one of the few things that change around here. The message on the board reverted back to "FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER", which I can't help but stare at. Gen and I had silently forgiven each other just a while ago, but it won't stop all the future arguments I know we will have. Forgiveness only seems like a code word for forgetting everything bad that has happened and hoping things will get better. But I can't bring myself to forget.

The sidewalk stops and the dirt path picks up after it before merging with the side of the road. A street light up ahead blinks out. Underneath the patch of darkness it created is the empty box. Beside it, the Siberian husky gazes across the road, sitting erectly despite the cold. I see its blue-grey eyes glowing in the darkness. The closer I walk towards it, the dog turns it head towards me and runs up to my feet, panting and wagging its tail.

A thought comes to mind and I pull out my phone, skimming through the photo app to a picture of a framed photo of my father. I turn on the flashlight function of the phone, apologizing to the dog that recoiled from its brightness, and hold the screen beside the dog. The dog's copper fur and blue-grey eyes are exactly the same as my father's, which makes me happy. I feel as if fate's telling me something though I don't know what.

The dog suddenly sprints down the road, stops just as fast, and barks at me before sprinting off again. I try commanding the dog to wait, but with the whipping of the wind, the dog is too far too hear me. I psyche myself up and race down the road until Coram Plaza comes into view. Past the Dunkin' Donuts, the Capital One bank, and the BP gas station I keep running, though slowly losing stamina, before coming to the edge of Grant Smith Road where the dog sits in waiting. Then it runs off again, its howl echoing in the wind as its body vaporizes in the air, too. I clench my fist and grind my teeth. Are you kidding me?! It vanished?

But the wind is too strong for my hot irritation to burn any longer. I shake my head, stuffing my hands once more in my pockets, and turn back in the opposite direction. The heat from all that running is making me uncomfortable, tempting me to take off my jacket. Still though…

Just wait 'til Dante hears about this.

When I got home, it was 8:26pm and Gen is nowhere to be seen in the living room or kitchen. I ask Dante where she is, disturbing his concentrated guide-browsing on the TV.

"She's in Leona's room sleeping," he drones. Meaning that we have the rest of the night to ourselves."

I change into a black undershirt and a loose, faded-pink pajama slacks, putting on a baggy, green and white sweater and a scarf – all while telling Dante of what happened during my walk. With everything described – one thing sounding more ridiculous than the last, his attention grows steadily towards me, his brow cocked up and jaw slackened.

"I…don't know what to say to that," he says, shaking his head. "That is…way too big of a coincidence! I mean, a dog that resembles Vergil…that teleports all over the place?"

I shrug, taking out my laptop and booting it up.

Then, Dante chirps up. "Hey Daci, let's have a duel!"

I glance at him smiling stupidly, his head resting in his palms. "Since when did _you_ want to play Yu-Gi-Oh?"

"Can't I play Yu-Gi-Oh when I feel like?" Dante fans his hands out.

"Whatever, fine. I needed to test out some new decks anyway."

I close my laptop and reach over to a mustard-colored plastic bag of tins and boxes, each of them brimmed with cards. I used to have a lot of duplicates when first getting back into the game, but I managed to sell most of them and used the money to construct coherent decks and some Extra Deck monsters.

We move to the carpet in the kitchen since the kitchen light couldn't travel upstairs and wake up Gen or our sister Leona. Dante lays out the mats and I distribute the tins and boxes all over the floor. "Like always, choose the kinds of cards you want. Forty is best but you can go up to sixty. _Choose any archetype you want_." I emphasize the last part, getting up to find paper and pen. Knowing my brother, he would pick my Odd-Eyes Performapal deck. It's his style per se, and he chose it only because it's a protagonist deck. Plus, Arc V is the latest arc, so he's biased towards Pendulum summoning.

When I return with pen and paper, Dante is already done constructing his deck. Just from seeing Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon on the top, I assume it's Odd-Eyes Performapals. Like I thought.

"Did you make an Extra Deck?" I ask.

He replies with a toothy smile. I look through the Extra Deck pile to see what he may have taken. He has taken a good amount of XYZ monsters, mainly Numbers. Luckily he didn't take any of the Utopia cards. Probably because he doesn't know it was a protagonist's ace card – not that he likes Yuuma in any way. Oh well. I continue sifting through the pile. He definitely took Armades from the Synchro pile, though I'm not sure he took more than that. Fusion? He obviously took Rune-Eyes, Beast-Eyes, and Vortex Dragon since they fit well with his deck. Not sure if I'll be seeing them. I only have two Odd-Eyes after all. If Dante chose to have more than forty cards, I might not see them at all.

For testing purposes, I choose my Shaddoll Prediction Princess deck. It creases me that XYZ summoning may not be as easy as I would like since half my monsters are Shaddolls, which have varying levels. I would need to adjust to it somehow. We shuffle our decks, then trade decks for the opponent to cut and reshuffle.

"Alright Dante, prepare to lose," I say, creating two columns on the loose-leaf with 8000 underneath both of our names. "It is _you_ who shall lose!" Dante bellows, getting into character. "Rock, Paper, Scissors, best two outta three."

I win my two games and go first. "Just a reminder," I start. "For the Pendulum format, the person who takes the first turn cannot conduct their draw phase. Now let's see…" My hand was decent at best. I had a couple of Shaddolls and the Ritual Spell for Tarotrei. I hate to resort to stalling, but I have no choice. "I set a card face down in Defense mode, and two cards face down. Your go."

Dante grins widely, laughing like a villain. He either has Odd-Eyes already, or he's gonna Pendulum Summon. Or both. "I use Scale 1 Stargazer Magician and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician to set the Pendulum Scale! I Pendulum – w-wha?!"

My body jerks upward upon seeing the two cards glowing out of nowhere. For a moment, I thought that maybe since they're holographic cards, the light overhead must be reflecting intensely from the surfaces. However, that theory went out of the window when the orb of light that engulfed the cards grows, enveloping me and Dante. Everything around me is only a clean white, and soon, I no longer see Dante in front of me. My legs falls beneath me and hover in mid-air. A hot anxiety radiates in my stomach. This is starting to feel too much like an anime.

Soon, the whiteness of the light fades from above into a blue-black with white specks scattered all over. When it completely dissipates, I drop from the air, but only by a couple of inches from the pavement. Still, it killed my butt! I kneed over my tailbone and hear a pile of cards scatter all over the ground along with the sounds of harder, but hollow objects.

"Aw man, are you kidding me!?" I hiss, taking up my laptop and phone and checking if they are still functioning. The phone's screen is still intact, and the only scratch the laptop sustained was a couple of scrapes around a corner. I boot my laptop up while raking all the cards with my outstretched arms and consequentially the dirt that happened to be underneath. "Man, dirt's gonna get in the sleeves. _And_ it's gonna take me forever to sort all these out, ugh!"

While packing the cards back in their tins, I take a quick look around where I am. It's a common trope that being engulfed in a bright flash of light means being teleported to another place. And seeing the chalky white sidewalks under the glow of the city lights, and the small, cute, and colorful cottages juxtaposed around towering skyscrapers – this is definitely not New York, much less Long Island or Suffolk County. In fact, is there any city in the world that looked anything remotely like this? Maybe. There has to be, or else this place wouldn't seem so familiar to me.

I take the mustard-colored bag (thank goodness it's here too) and open it up so that it can adequately hold the tins and boxes. Now that I'm focusing on the containers before me, I notice that I'm missing about half my tins and boxes. I speculate that Dante has the rest. The light _did_ catch him and the cards around him. Is he in this city, too?

"Are you okay?" A boy's voice calls out to me.

I glance over to my left towards the voice. The light from the interior of the building named Hotel (original, isn' it?) shines from behind him, obscuring his face. I continue packing my stuff.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I finally say. "Don't concern yourself with me. I was just leaving –"

"My father has requested to see you," he interrupts, his voice low.

The fuck is he talking about?! Someone wanting to see me? But I just came here! "I'm sorry, but I don't…" My boy had come closer to me, and seeing his face this close, the words I was going to say hitch in my throat.

The boy's big, green eyes linger upon me stoically. Then, he flashes me a gentle, but pained smile, his hand held out towards me.


	2. Number 2: The Amazing 51

~Chapter 4~

It has only been one full day since I came to Heartland City. How's it possible to be pissed off this early? I think the universe is conspiring against me.

And this duel is the icing on the cake.

"Go, Crystal Chrononaut! Attack Stealthray!" Trey calls his attack.

The violet alien fires its beam on Mecha Phantom Beast Stealthray, dealing a clean 2000 points of damage to me, dropping my Life Points to zero. I sigh sharply, massaging the bridge of my nose. The Augmented Reality system disconnects in a series of 0s and 1s, allowing the ruddy and muddy construction site to be bathed in the dawn light. I yawn widely and take off my Duel Gazer, and then rub out the water building around the edges of my eyes.

"Wow, why did I expect the duel to end any different?" Quattro comments, getting up from the dirt and brushing off his clothes. "Your deck sucks major ass!"

I throw him a glare, though the effect is weak. I'm a bit groggy, and it may take a while for my eyes to adjust to the AR system. I can finally sympathize with those poor kids in my world when 3D technology became popular. "So what does that say about your own deck, Quattro?" I toss back with minimal effort. "If anything, you just admitted that without an Extra Deck, then your Main deck is even lower than 'sucking major ass.'"

"What did you say -?!"

"That's enough, Quattro," Trey says, moving in between me and his older brother. "Take the criticism with grace and learn from your loss to her."

I flash a mocking grin at Quattro, earning a frustrated glare from said teen. As for Trey, I didn't know why until he summoned Crystal Chrononaut he came up with the rule to restrict Quattro's Extra Deck when he himself was still able to use it. I ended up not using my Extra Deck at all because I thought the rule also applied to me. However, the reason dawned on me during the duel. Quattro's Extra Deck, at this point of time, probably has only Numbers in it. Trey also has Numbers, but he also has XYZ monsters that aren't Numbers, giving him flexibility while…concealing the fact that he has Numbers? Why they are trying to keep the knowledge of Numbers from me, I dunno. They're probably thinking that Numbers are way out of my league. Or that using Numbers against me would be overkill? I'm not surprised. I'm just a stranger they picked up off the streets. They know nothing about my knowledge or my abilities, though Vetrix claims to see potential in me. He's the one who requested to take me in, after all.

Quattro tsks and turns his back to us. "Whatever, I think we've done enough 'training' for the day. I'm outta here."

"But wait, brother! Weren't we also supposed to -?"

"Like hell am I going shopping with that _bitch_ over there," Quattro spat, venom dripping from his words. "As long as you have the measurements, then there's no need for me to go along with you."

And with that, Quattro disappears into the dark vortex of the overlay network, leaving Trey with me. Wow, I almost feel hurt by his comment. But at least he's open with his feelings, so I know to avoid him in the future. The other two, I'm not so sure. You see, upon my sudden introduction hosted by Vetrix himself the three Arclights brothers didn't seem fond of the presence of an additional 'member of the family,' as Vetrix had worded it.

The following day (yesterday), the tense atmosphere lingered on. Trey and Quinton avoided addressing me – or even looking at me, and Quattro went out for the day because of a one-sided argument between him and Vetrix that I pretended wasn't the least bit about me. In the end, it was Vetrix that tried his best to make me feel at home. I wasn't gonna let his hospitality get to me, especially when I already know he's one of the antagonistic factions on the hunt for Numbers and revenge. But still, it's more evidence for me proving that devils treat me better than any supposed angel.

After a few lengthy seconds, Trey turns to me with a strained smile that's meant to look apologetic. "Don't take anything Quattro says to heart, Daciana. He's always agitated like that and tends to go overboard." I nod, letting him know that I acknowledge his words, but I know Quattro. He's impulsive, attention-seeking, sadistic, and volatile. Basically a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. But at least I know when the countdown will reach zero and soon fizzle out. I just pray that my presence doesn't make him prematurely explode. But Trey's attempt at kind words relieve the pent-up pessimism from a while ago, and I thank him mentally for that.

"Well then, shall we?" And our shopping spree has begun.

Walking about the streets of Heartland City feels so magical, so unreal that I feel like skipping down the sidewalks (though I try to keep myself from looking too excited), spinning around to catch all the sights: tall buildings and air trolleys that reflect the technological advances of this society (that my world could easily catch up to if they just put their minds to it), mega-department stores that rival the ones along Broadway, how clean the streets are, and the parks! Well, the parks are a little disappointing, especially when I've been to Central Park a couple of times, which exceeds them in sheer size. Trey mentions off-handedly that there are five parks all around Heartland City. I bet Central Park can fit all five of them inside its area, plus ten more.

But the best part of sightseeing is viewing everything from a child-like perspective, now that I have the body of my former thirteen-year old self. It was a huge surprise when I came into this dimension. My voice is softer, squeakier, and just plain cute. It was something I was so glad to leave behind because people would fawn over how cute and sweet I was, resulting in my development of this cynical mindset that people won't ever take me seriously. My pajamas and underwear were very loose around my body and – well, I didn't have a bra on to begin with so it was kind of embarrassing, even when the 'girls' are a bit smaller. I thought I had shrunk or something. When Quattro took my measurements that night, it more or less confirmed that theory. Well, it's not actually shrinking so much as it was age regression.

See, I was a chubby girl back then, enough for Gen to make passing comments about it every other day. And yet there is no flab of fat on me resembling my past. Instead, I am fit just as I was before coming here, yet as fit as I could possibly be as a thirteen-year-old. Almost as if the person I was before coming here has proportionally sized down so that my new form could handle that same proportion of my current reservoir of strength. I feel so much lighter that I can probably fly like Mario in the tanuki suit if I run fast enough! But my blows just don't have that impact it used to have. I would punch and kick repeatedly, only for me to spin out and trip on myself because of said floaty-ness. Oh well, just need to train my body here and there to get back on track. But anyways, now that I'm here in Heartland City, I have to try and make myself at home, and the number one priority is finding clothes (and several bras and underwear) that fit.

In the meantime, I have to wear this…garment Quattro has made for me. Can you believe it? I never took him to be the seamster (is that the right word?) kind of guy. Anyways, the outfit resembles Trey's outfit: a two-piece bronze medieval garment (compared to his Venetian red one) that barely flares out at the hem. The dress shirt I wear is crisp and white like everyone else's, the ballera is open and frilly (the frills are the same crispy white) like Vetrix's, and I wear a bronze collar around my neck – again, like Vetrix.

The outfit was just completed last night, so I stayed indoors for all of yesterday using the time to settle down within the four walls of my assigned room. After having felt the weight of how much I wasn't welcomed by the Arclight brothers, I took the time to skim through my Yu-Gi-Oh card collection to form a coherent deck as well as check my iPhone and laptop to see whether or not they still function in this world (lucky me they end up crossing dimensions with me!) Vetrix had also asked me if I have a Machine-themed deck, and that I should if I were to work in sync with Trey, Quattro, and Quinton. Not that I could imagine a time those three will want to work with me.

But there was one majorly weird thing that happened while skimming through my cards. Besides the fact that I don't even have my entire collection, for some reason some of the cards…stung me? Burned me? It felt more like…a static shock, but there was a radiating burning sensation that lingered on my skin for a while. I have no words for what exactly happened, and I have no idea why certain cards did that. I thought that maybe I was getting paper cuts from the card's (dull!) edges, but there were no signs of cuts on my fingers. I spent the rest of my deck building session enduring unpredictable stings until I built back together my Mecha Phantom Beast deck. Thank the Lord that none of the cards in this deck hurt me, but still…

It's now 12:08 pm and Trey and I are taking a break at a small café. Apparently, Vetrix requested that we bring back some treats once we start to head back to the hotel. The actual shopping was…a lot less successful than I hoped. When I pulled out the first shirt from the first rack I saw, I remembered that Heartland is a city based in Japan, where the sizes are universally smaller than American sizes. I looked through all sections of several stores of several malls – no matter the intended gender – only to come out with two bags, one of them with only undergarments, and feminine necessities taking up half of the other bag. I'm gonna have to look around Heartland City some more another time. Alone. Because I'm not willing to suffer walking around with someone who couldn't at least pretend to get along with me. It's annoying with human beings, and even worse with anime characters I love. Even though Trey can be the most stoic out of the family, every now and then when he stole looks from me between clothes racks it looked like he was physically pained doing so.

So when Trey returns with three white paper bags of pastries and sandwiches, I land the icebreaker. "Do you hate me, Trey?"

Trey's eyes darken, narrowing slightly. His grip on one of the bags must have unconsciously loosen a little, letting the bag slip out of his fingers, but I instinctively catch the bag at the last minute before it touches the floor. I blow out a thin stream of air in silent relief. That was a close one, but let's just say that I'm used to situations like this where something's bound to shatter on the ground. If there's one thing people _hate_ about me, it's that I don't know the meaning of delicacy. However, the truth is the opposite. It's just that I can't afford _not_ to be direct and blunt. My life and sanity have always depended on it, and this predicament is no exception.

Suddenly, my Duel Gazer buzzes vigorously in my pocket, startling me out of my silent thoughts. I straighten up, take it out, and push a button. Vetrix's face shows up on lens screen.

"Are you two alright? You've been out for longer than I have expected," he says, his expression unreadable, mostly because of that iron mask he's wearing.

"Oh, we're fine. We're just heading back right now," I assure him.

"Wonderful. Have you gotten everything you need?"

I hum with feigned hesitance. "Not really, but it's no big deal. Just gonna have to do multiple trips searching about for the right articles, is all."

Vetrix tilts his head in thought. "Is that so? Well, if it doesn't bother you, then I guess that's just how it is. Anyways, come home safely now!" He waves before the transmission cuts off.

I glance over to Trey and he quickly looks away, but I can see under his cotton candy fringes his furrowed brows and those distant eyes he wore that night when he came to retrieve me for his father. I open the bag I caught and pull out a chocolate croissant wrapped in tissue paper, and then stuff the bag underneath my arm. "Still waiting for an answer from you. Come, let's walk back in the meanwhile."

And we do, though Trey insists on pretending he's a robot and keeping his lips shut. At least he's paying attention to where he's walking from the way he's weaving expertly around the crowd of bumbling guys and girls. A bit too good and a bit too quickly, almost as if he's trying to lose me in the sea of people. But if there's one thing I have to thank Gen for forcing me to learn, it is to walk briskly, broadly, and effortlessly to keep up with people. When I was little, every time Gen forced me to go shopping with her on weekends was basically a training session for me to keep up no matter how tired I was or how short my legs were. I remember crying after her for walking too fast and leaving me behind in the midst of strangers. Like she was abandoning me to fend for myself. Sometimes she would yell at me and "watch me 'n you when we get home!" in that harsh patois accent for being such a crybaby. If that didn't work, she would buy me an oven-baked cookie or an ice cream cone to shut me up as a sign that she has given up on calming me down the good ol' fashioned way. But despite the tasty rewards, I was more concerned about staying close to the woman I then called 'mommy' above anything else.

I manage to stay on the boy's trail for a while, focusing on his slim frame and outlandish clothing as my guide. However, I get so caught up in staying close to Trey in this crowd that a meaty arm nearly pushes me back like a tidal wave, and out of instinct and frustration I push back. A low-rumbling growl soon follow.

"Yo, watch who you bumping into, girly!"

I freeze in place, feeling the bile run through my stomach, and turn around to find a big dude snarling through his clenched teeth and glowering eyes. The dude's arms remind me of Popeye's disproportionately muscular arms. His face is round in general form but chiseled, and his eyes are thin and sharp, shadowed by his thick, brown eyebrows. His hair sticks up and curves to the left like a bird raising a wing in the air, and there's a wrestling belt strapped around his waist. Damn, this just isn't my day.

I suck in air sharply through my teeth. "Uh sorry 'bout that, bruh," I say all cool and friendly, holding my hands up half-casually, half in surrender. When I glance behind me, I don't see any sign of pink and brown hair or those medieval clothes anywhere. I can't believe Trey actually left me. "I was, uh, just rushin' back home. Kinda in a hurry, too, so…"

The dude's lips tighten into a thin line, and his fists closing and opening patiently. "That's no excuse! You just tainted the presence of _the_ Mysterious Mr. Amazing, and I demand a duel to reclaim that honorable dignity!" The dude slaps his Duel Pad on his wrist, serious about carrying out his challenge.

Then, a teal tattoo in a familiar Astralglyph font glows from the dude's right upper arm, reading "51". _Oh crap, this dude is possessed by a Number?_ Should I take him up on his challenge? In public like this? And if by some miracle I do win, will I be able to take his Number? This may be my only opportunity, so I'm feeling kinda ballsy right now. Trey isn't here, and Vetrix – well, he would probably prioritize getting the Number if he were in my shoes.

With much thought and much focus to ignore the pairs of eyes that are probably focused on us, I comply to his challenge, eliciting a freakish grin from the dude. "But we should go somewhere else. Somewhere out of the public's eye, if you catch my drift."

The dude's grin grows more freakishly as he turns 90 degrees and sweeps his hand across the width of his largeness. "Fine by me. You lead the way."

And so, I lead him back to the abandoned construction site where Trey, Quattro, and I were training in earlier this morning. The secluded area is surrounded by a wall of dull red beams reaching high enough that probably only a helicopter may be able to see us. Plus, the site is quite some ways from any running store, business, or places any normal person with average curiosity would care to go. And then there's the haunted atmosphere that seems to encase this dilapidated sector of Heartland City. No wonder Quattro loves this place…

"We're here," I announce simply, walking over to the beams to set down my bags.

"Heh heh, gotta say I like your style," the dude chortles, his eyes scanning the area. "Though, the performance of a potential wrestling star shouldn't be obscured from the public. But I'll give it a pass. Don't wanna get caught pummeling a little girl to her knees! Hahahaha!"

"Are you done talking to yourself now?" I drone. "Let's get this over with." _Preferably before someone walks on in and catches me beating_ your _ass._

"Heh, you're on! There's no way you can defeat the Mysterious Mr. Amazing! Not as long I got the power!" The dude – I guess he's really calling himself the "Mysterious Mr. Amazing" – finishes turning his Duel Pad into a coherent duel disk and puts on his orange-brown Duel Gazer.

I flip backwards, creating some distance between us. I take out my chrome furnished Duel Pad from my pocket and throw it in the air. "Duel Disk, _ginga!"_ I call out, whipping my left hand forward and over to the right in an exaggerated _ginga_ stance. In a flash of light, a chrome gauntlet materializes over my hand and in response to my voice, the Duel Pad circles down and attaches to the gauntlet, unraveling itself to roughly resemble the body of a slender, mini space battleship cruiser with silver spikes protruding out from the left end in a conical formation. I then put on my chrome Duel Gazer over my left eye. "Duel Gazer, _inicio_!"

The construction site is bathed in an upward wave of numbers followed by green light. _Augmented Reality established…_

"Let's duel!" we both say, drawing our starting hand of five cards.

The Mysterious Mr. Amazing: 4000

Daciana: 4000

"Since you issued the challenge, I'll go first. I draw!" I say. Currently in my hand are Hamstrat, Fiendish Chain, Scapegoat, Megaraptor, Draw Muscle, and Blackfalcon (which I just drew). A pretty good starting hand, though I wonder if destiny is going a bit overboard on what little good luck I have. "I place a card face-down in Defense position and place two cards face-down. I end my turn."

Mr. Amazing scrunches up his face. "What a cowardly way to duel! But then again, what did I expect from a fragile, little girl? My turn, I draw!" His disgust turns into a sickening grin. "Heh, when you have a monster on your side of the field and I don't, I can Normal Summon Big Piece Golem without Tributing." A giant, gray, roughly-carved golem appears on the field, slapping the ground vigorously with hands as big as half its body.

Big Piece Golem: Level 5 ATK/2100 DEF/0

"And I will attack your face-down monster. Go, Big Piece Golem!"

The giant golem lumbers its way over to my face-down monster and raises both its fists in the air, ready for gravity to takes its effect. My face-down monster flips over in response, revealing a small airplane with the face of an angry hamster.

Mecha Phantom Beast Hamstrat: Level 3 ATK/1100 DEF/1600

"Well, thank you for that. I activate Hamstrat's ability," I call out. "When it's flipped face-up, I can Special Summon two Mecha Phantom Beast tokens on my side of the field."

Two iridescent hologram copies of Hamstrat materializes on the field on either side of the spot where Hamstrat self-destructs from being crushed by Big Piece Golem's fists.

Mecha Phantom Beast Token (2): Level 3 ATK/0 DEF/0

Mr. Amazing growls, clearly irritated. "So, that's your plan? I destroy your monster, and two more will pop up to take its place. Not that two monsters with no Attack points will do you any good."

I shrug with indifference. "You say that now, but these tokens are actually more powerful than you think."

"Yeah, like half as powerful as my pinky!" Mr. Enter trash-talks. "I end my turn with a face-down."

"My turn. I draw." I draw from my deck, pulling out Tetherwolf. "I summon Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf in Attack mode!" A helicopter in the shape of a silver wolf with two long cables dancing in the wind ascends to the field.

Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf: Level 4 ATK/1700 DEF/1200

"Now, Tetherwolf's ability activates," I continue. "When it's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Mecha Phantom Beast token on my side of the field."

Mecha Phantom Beast Token ( **3** ): Level 3 ATK/0 DEF/0

"Also, Mecha Phantom Beast Monsters gain levels equal to the total levels of the MPB tokens on the field. There are three Level 3 MPB tokens, so Tetherwolf gains nine levels."

Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf: **Level 13** ATK/1700 DEF/1200

Mr. Amazing's eyes widen, almost bulging out with suppressed shock. "W-wait, you can't have a Level 13 monster! Isn't that against the rules?" he yells from across the field.

"Hmm." I place a finger on my chin in thought. "Well, not really. I can't do anything with a Level of thirteen under most circumstances. Plus, Mecha Phantom Beasts are allowed leverage of three levels above normal limits, so they can reach Level 15 at max. Anyways," I point my finger at Big Piece Golem, "I attack Big Piece Golem with Tetherwolf."

Tetherwolf zooms over to the giant golem and shoots its cables at its body.

"Are you retarded, girlie?" Mr. Amazing grins, amused. "Your monster has lower attack than mine. You're gonna self-destruct!"

"Oh, you think so?" I smile back with a snarky grin. "I activate Tetherwolf's other ability. By tributing a Token on my field, it can increase its attack by 800 until the end of this turn." Tetherwolf's eyes glow a bright red and its propellers spin wildly, creating enough turbulence to make the burning red cables whip around in a frenzy.

Mecha Phantom Beast Token **(2)** : Level 3 ATK/0 DEF/0

Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf: **Level 10** **ATK/2500** DEF/1200

The cables are now latched onto Big Piece Golem, melting the small area of its body where they are connected. The wolf helicopter lifts the golem from its feet thank to the turbulence and swings it hard against the red beam wall, causing the opposing monster to break into rubble with Mr. Amazing caught in the aftermath.

The Mysterious Mr. Amazing: 4000 = 3600

"Now, Tetherwolf's attack returns to normal. I end my turn."

Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf: Level 10 **ATK/1700** DEF/1200

"Good. I draw!" Mr. Amazing looks at the card he draws and smiles. "Yeah! First, I activate the spell Monster Reborn to revive my Big Piece Golem."

Big Piece Golem: Level 5 ATK/2100 DEF/0

"Next, I'll summon Small Piece Golem in Attack mode!" A smaller golem that looks to be made of carven wood appears on the field, pumping its left fist in the air.

Small Piece Golem: Level 3 ATK/1100 DEF/0

"And guess what? When Small Piece Golem is summoned to the field when I control a Big Piece Golem, I can Special Summon Medium Piece Golem from my deck!" Mr. Amazing takes out his deck and searches for his respective card, summoning it and returning the deck back in its compartment where the duel disk automatically shuffles it back. A more monstrous golem, jagged and spiky, appears on the field, clenching and opening its rocky fingers.

Medium Piece Golem: Level 4 ATK/1600 DEF/0

"And now, I activate the spell card that I just drew: Polymerization!"

I narrow my eyes and kiss my teeth. _Crap, this guy can Fusion Summon, too?!_ I thought only Kite and Master Roku could Fusion Summon in this show since it has been decades or more since the third season of Yu-Gi-Oh. I guess this guy just proved me wrong.

"Now I fuse Big Piece Golem with Medium Piece Golem in order to Fusion Summon Multiple Piece Golem!" A simplistic mech-like construct with giant, white gauntlets rises from the dust, its rigid form towering over the construction site.

Multiple Piece Golem: Level 7 ATK/2600 DEF/1300

The dude laughs triumphantly with his hands on his hip where that wrestling belt is strapped. "Quake before me, weakling, as I attack your little toy over there with my golem! Go, Multiple piece Golem! Earthquake Smash!"

"As if!" I growl. "Tetherwolf's ability can activate during your turn also. I tribute another token to increase its attack by 800 'til the End Phase!"

Mecha Phantom Beast Token ( **1** ): Level 3 ATK/0 DEF/0

Mecha Phantom Beast Tetherwolf: **Level 7** **ATK/2500** DEF/1200

"Now only that, but Mecha Phantom Beasts share one more special ability! While there is at least one token on my side of the field, they can't be destroyed by battle or card effects."

Mr. Amazing snarls in disappointment, and I know he knows why. "Well, it doesn't matter. You still take damage from my attack cuz you're still weaker, though you manage to greatly reduce the damage you take."

Multiple Piece Golem's fist smashes into a red force field that materializes upon impact. I brace myself for the force of the impact, but nothing more than a strong breeze blows past me.

Daciana: 4000 = 3900

"I place a card face-down and end my turn! You manage to save yourself this time," Mr. Amazing says, his voice husky and intimidating. "But at this rate, you won't even get to see my true ace!"

I hum in thought, scanning the field as it is now. He has two monsters on his field – one of them being a Fusion monster! – and two face-down cards. He hasn't used the face-down he Set since his first turn, meaning I must be doing something right to keep him from activating it. But the one thing I know for a fact I haven't done yet that pops into mind is declaring an attack, so it's likely that his face-down will activate when I attack. Or maybe I really did do something "bad", but he decides not to spring the card on me, saving it for a direr situation. Or maybe I should just stop overthinking this and start my turn.

I draw my card, which is Forbidden Lance. It'd be great if it was actually Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of the guess work as to what his face-downs are, but MST doesn't negate any effect, so there's that. Plus, my monsters should be protected as long as I have a token. But how long will that last? Nothing's stopping Mr. Amazing from attack my token and then destroying my monster. But this is why I have my own face-down placed.

"Yo, hurry it up!" Mr. Amazing's obnoxiously loud voice breaks my concentration. "This is a duel, not a cafeteria line!"

I roll my eyes, picking a card out from my hand. "I summon Mecha Phantom Beast Megaraptor in Attack mode!" A Velociraptor-shaped fighter jet flies down onto the field with a sharp cry.

Mecha Phantom Beast Megaraptor: **Level 4=7** ATK/1900 DEF/1000

 _Hrm, what to do, what to do?_ _…_ _No, don't overthink this! This is the Yu-Gi-Oh anime, not the meta of the Real World. Still, let's tread lightly here._ "Now, I'll attack your Small Piece Golem with Megaraptor!" Megaraptor flaps its metallic wings and charges forward at the wooden golem.

"Ha! You fell for my trap, which I'll activate right now!" Mr. Amazing calls, the face-down card flipping up. "Go, Magic Cylinders!"

I stumble back. "Shit!"

"Haha! With this card, I can negate your monster's attack and deal damage to your Life Points equal to its attack!"

Two magenta cylinders with rings of diamond on either end and a question mark in the middle emerge from the card. The right cylinder sucks in Megaraptor, who tries resisting the pull but fails, like a vacuum. With the monster absorbed, the cylinder to the left fires Megaraptor in my direction at blinding speeds. My monster opens its giant maw at me and chomps down on my torso. I bite my lips close, suppressing the excruciating groan erupting from my throat, and collapse onto the floor.

Daciana: 3900 = 2000

To my surprise, I can still move my arm around as if it didn't just get chomped on a second ago. But then again, this is all just virtual reality. And if anything looks real, it would end up feeling real…to some degree. "I continue my attack, using Tetherwolf to attack your Small Piece Golem!"

"Hrrgh!" Mr. Amazing grits his teeth as his monster gets destroyed before his eyes.

The Mysterious Mr. Amazing: 3600 = 3000

"I'm surprised you didn't use your last token to boost your monster's strength." Mr. Amazing furrows his brows. "You could've done more damage to me. Or were you holding back?"

I smirk, rising to my feet. "I don't hold back when it comes to big damage and big plays." I shoot my fist into the air. "Thanks to this token, both my monsters are Level 7. So with this, I overlay Level 7 Tetherwolf and Megaraptor to build the Overlay Network!" The two monster transform into balls of red and green energy respectively before beaming into the air where a red galaxy vortex appears to absorb them. "I XYZ Summon Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack!" A smooth, white, cargo aircraft with a long tail, black-striped wings, and a head similar to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon descends from the network with two balls of yellow light orbiting its body like satellites. The monster roars ferociously.

Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack: Rank 7 ATK/2600 DEF/2200

"Now I use Dracossack's special ability. By tributing one Mecha Phantom Beast monster on the field, I can target one card on the field and destroy it. So I Tribute my last MPB token to destroy your Multiple Piece Golem!"

"No!" The dude barks.

Mecha Phantom Beast Token ( **0** )

Dracossack opens its mouth wide, a sphere of turbulent wind building up within. Then it exhales the wind into a beam-like shockwave that quickly slices up Multiple Piece Golem into shards, leaving the monster to disintegrate from the field. Mr. Amazing is seething to the point where I can imagine a vein popping and pulsing from his forehead. But then he waves his hand over to his other face-down card.

"I activate my trap Call of the Haunted to bring back my Medium Piece Golem!"

Medium Piece Golem: Level 4 ATK/1600 DEF/0

I 'hmph' with an amused smile. "Trying to hang by a thread, huh. Oh well, I end my turn."

"Tch! You think you have me cut down to size, huh! Destroying one of my best monsters so easily like that." Mr. Amazing's voice is husky and intimidating, which makes the situation more adrenaline-packed. "Well, now it's time to show you my new, true power!"

A bubbling spring of unfounded excitement rises inside my chest. "Heh, bring it on, bagga mouth!" I laugh, egging him on.

Mr. Amazing looks taken back and confused, probably by my sudden shift in accent. The little embarrassment I feel for him almost kills my drive, but he quickly resumes his turn.

"I-I don't know what you even said," the dude sputters. "B-but anyways, I play the spell card Foolish Burial. With it, I can send one monster from my deck to the graveyard. And guess what? The monster I sent to the graveyard has its ability activated. When my Revival Golem is sent from the Deck to the graveyard, I can activate one of its two abilities. And I choose to Special Summon it from my graveyard!" A black, waxy golem with white cracks on its body appears on the field, kneeling with its giant hands crossing over its head.

Revival Golem: Level 4 ATK/100 DEF/2100

"Next, I summon Gorgonic Cerberus onto the field!" A small, mechanical animal with three heads attached to its body with tight coils dashes onto the field like a dog to its master.

Gorgonic Cerberus: Level 3 ATK/1300 DEF/300

Mr. Amazing slams his fists together, knuckle to knuckle. "I activate Cerberus's special ability. When it's Normal Summoned onto the field, all Rock-Type monsters I control becomes Level 3!"

Medium Piece Golem: **Level 3** ATK/1600 DEF/0

Revival Golem: **Level 3** ATK/100  DEF/2100

 _Oh crap, he has three Level 3 monsters on his field…_

"And now, I overlay Level 3 Medium Piece Golem, Revival Golem, and Gorgonic Cerberus to build the Overlay Network!"

The monsters transform into beams of orange, violet, and red light respectively, spiraling around each other as they merge at the center of a golden galaxy-like spiral. The teal Astralglyph on the side of Mr. Amazing's upper arm appears and glows violently.

"Mighty fists of Earth! Display your strength to your enemies and make them cower into submission!" Mr. Amazing chants. "I XYZ Summon Number 51: Finish Hold the Amazing!"

A brown, boulder-like structure emerges from the Overlay Network. The monster uncurls itself, revealing his hulky arms covered with fur around the wrists and its head, which looks like it's covered with a red, gold, and black luchador mask with horns protruding from the sides. Its giant figure crashes onto the field and the monster turns to me, pelvic thrusting to show off its spiky, gold-plated wrestling belt.

Number 51: Finish Hold the Amazing: Rank 3 ATK/2600 DEF/0

I take several steps back. _Yo, wait! A Rank 3 monster with the same amount of attack as a Rank 7 Dracossack?! What the actual hell!_

"Let's go, Amazing! Show that dragon the destruction of your bare fists!" Number 51 runs forward at my monster, swinging its two arms like propellers.

This is not good. Damn, I should've used Dracossack's other special ability last turn, using an overlay unit to create two more Mecha Phantom Beast tokens and save itself from destruction! And since Number 51 is a Number card, in the anime world it can't be destroyed by battle unless it's with another Number! Jesus frickin' –! I look down on my field, remembering one of my face-downs I Set at the beginning of the duel.

"I activate the Quick spell Scapegoat!" I call out, revealing one of my face-down cards. "This card generates four Sheep tokens on my side of the field!" One by one, a blue, red, pink, and orange sheep appear on my field, smiling like they have no care in the world.

Sheep Token (4) Level 1: ATK/0 DEF/0

"And since I have tokens on my field, Dracossack can't be destroyed by battle or card effects."

"Well then, I'll just redirect my attack at one of your sheeps," Mr. Amazing shouts. "Amazing, target that blue sheep over there!"

"Like I'd let you!" I continue my retaliation. "I activate my other face-down card, the Quick spell Draw Muscle! I can target a Defense-positioned monster with 1000 or less defense and for the rest of this turn, it can't be destroyed by battle. And I target the blue sheep!"

Number 51 opens out its hands readying to crush the blue sheep to dust, only for its hands to catch a blue force field set up around my token.

"Plus, Draw Muscle allows me to draw one card from my deck," I say, drawing the card like I'm pulling off a week-old band-aid. When I see the card I drew, for a moment the world feels like it just froze in time. Destiny must be screwing around with me if it decides to give me this card. The image of the card burns in my retinas the more I stare, and the weight of the reality of its texture between my fingers causes me to jump up like a fangirl squealing with excitement. _Yo, what are the chances?! This duel is mine now._

"Whatever, it won't matter. I activate Amazing's special ability!" Mr. Amazing calls. "Since this card has battled, I can use one overlay unit and place a counter on it. And guess what," Mr. Amazing's lips curl upward into a snide grin, "At the end of a Battle Phase when this monster has three counters, it can destroy all cards you control, leaving you defenseless to my monster's wrath." An overlay unit smashes itself into Number 51's chest, and a gold aura dimly outlines its body. "And all my monster has to do to get these counters is to be involved in battle. And since this will be the _only_ monster I control, you have no choice but to attack it. Of course, you can delay your defeat by not attacking. Either way, I will win since you only have 2000 Life Points!"

Even though he says that, it doesn't change the fact that I now own this duel. All I have to do is literally play my cards right. One wrong step, and this duel will last needlessly longer.

"I end my turn. Your move, girlie!"

"My pleasure. I draw!"

 _Okay, okay, let's think this over._ Number 51's ability is a field-clearing effect, not unlike Dark Hole or Torrential Tribute. I have plenty of experience with those cards, so I know for sure that I'll win because more likely than not, Mr. Amazing is probably not familiar with the ruling around Mecha Phantom Beasts. But then again, the dude just said that his monster's effect can destroy all _cards_ I control, meaning that unlike Dark Hole or Torrential Tribute (which destroys only monsters), Number 51's ability will also destroy any backrow I may have. So I can't Set my trap just yet. Right now, Number 51 has one counter already, meaning that if I choose to attack this turn, then next turn, Mr. Amazing will nuke my field…supposedly. My field right now is filled with one Dracossack, four sheepies, and no back row…yet. Then, there's the fact that Mr. Amazing has 3000 Life Points left. I need to destroy his Number and end this duel in one blow…

"I'll attack Number 51 with my Dracossack!" I declare. Dracossack fires it windbust wave at Number 51, who easily shrugs off the attack.

"Are you high? Our monsters match each other in strength and neither of them can be destroyed in battle," Mr. Amazing laughs. "And I can detach an overlay unit to give Amazing another counter. It's almost like you _want_ me to utterly destroy you!"

Another overlay unit is smashed, and the aura around Number 51's body morphs into eddying wave of energy flowing upwards to a point above its head. I maintain my stoic face, furrowing my eyebrows for added effect. "Whatever. I end my turn here."

"Great! My turn, I draw!" Mr. Amazing sticks the card in his hand, smirking triumphantly. "Amazing, attack the orange sheep token!" The monster crushes the poor token in its bare hand, reducing it to a pile of disintegrated matter. "And now, my monster will have all three tokens by detaching its final overlay unit!" The last overlay unit smashes against Number 51's chest, and the eddying wave turns into a golden, more powerful energy-like aura, enveloping the monster like a controlled flame and sending powerful shockwaves that threatens to topple me over.

"Go, Finish Hold the Amazing!" The monster positions and curves its hands where the palms face one another, creating a round space in between. A glow of energy builds up in that empty space, growing and growing until it touches both palms. "Wipe out her entire field with Cataclysmic Shock!" Obeying its duelist's command, Number 51 reels both hands back holding the sphere of energy and then thrust the energy forward, the deceivingly small energy ball blasting like a massive beam and mowing down my entire field in one destructive blow.

I can hear Mr. Amazing laughing heartedly by his supposed victory, not that he would have won yet since he would technically have to wait for his next turn to attack me again. The light dies down and smoke take its place to obscure the results of that devastating ability. But from where I stand, I see Dracossack's sleek white body hover about through the black smoke. Soon, the smoke clears and Mr. Amazing's eyes widen in confusion by the presence of my unscathed monster. A deep, evil, cackling sound rises from my mouth as I bend forward with my arms clutched around my waist. It is now my turn to laugh.

"…What? A-are…you fuckin' _kidding_ me?!," Mr. Amazing breathes, his voice shaky before he unleashes a monstrous roar. "You were supposed to be writhing in the mud with nothing left to protect you!"

It takes a while before I can catch my breath, wiping the tears that gather at the corners of my eyes. "And that was the biggest flaw in your thinking! Mass destruction abilities don't work on Mecha Phantom Beasts as long as a Token in on the field because my monsters' ability make it so that you have to destroy the tokens _first_ before you can destroy the monster. A simultaneous destruction doesn't cut it! Though, you _did_ destroy my tokens, so I guess I can give a small applause for your 'accomplishment'."

Mecha Phantom Beast Token ( **0** )

Mr. Amazing gazes at me wide-eyed, inhaling and exhaling raggedly, clenching and unclenching his fists to mitigate his pent-up rage. "My next turn…" he mutters. "My next turn shall be when I turn this duel around and crush you!"

I relax my face taut with laughter and hype, and sigh with wearied content to let out all that stress from my face.

"I place a card face-down and end my turn! Now hurry up so I can end this duel!" The dude roars.

I close my eyes and let out a slow and steady breath, conducting my Draw Phase, and then look at the field once more. There is no way I can achieve an Attack power high enough to get over that 2600 Attack _and_ end this duel at the same time. But Number 51 has 0 Defense, and I can definitely take advantage of that. _Destiny, don't screw this up now!_ "I summon Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon in Attack mode." A dark grey reconnaissance aircraft the shape of a falcon dives onto the field.

Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon: Level 4 ATK/1200 DEF/1700

"Next, I'll activate Dracossack's special ability. By using an Overlay Unit, it can Special Summon two MPB tokens onto the field."

Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens ( **2** ): Level 3 ATK/0 DEF/0

 _Now, it's time._ "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

Mr. Amazing's shoulders shake up and down erratically, and a boisterous laugh rips through the silence of the construction site. "You stupid bitch! You've basically gift-wrapped my victory in the form of your tokens!" He draws his final card of the duel. "Finish Hold the Amazing, attack one of those damned Mecha Phantom Beast tokens!"

I squint my eyes by the sheer stupidity of the dude's move. "Okay, so? It's in defense mode, so my Life Points are protected."

"That's what _you_ think!" Mr. Amazing laughs. "I activate the Trap, Strike Slash, and it can only be activated when I declare an attack! It gives my monster 700 more Attack points. Plus, it allows my monster to deal piercing damage when it attacks another monster in Defense mode!" Number 51's eyes spark with red, his entire body glowing with a harsh scarlet, and two lengthy, wolverine-like claws extend from the back of both of its large hands – one for either hand.

Number 51: Finish Hold the Amazing: Rank 3 **ATK/3300** DEF/0

I stumble and fall backwards onto the dusty ground, letting out a high-pitched scream. _No! That attack will do 3300 points of damage to my Life Points! And I'll lose the duel!_ Number 51 races up towards my field with newfound speed, winding back one of its hands ready to unleash its attack. But I smirk to myself. No way I'm going down without a fight. In fact, I'm not going down at all!

"I activate Blackfalcon's special ability! By tributing a token, I can target one monster on the field, forcing it to switch to defense mode. And I target Number 51."

The dude sputters with a stupefied expression, pulling out his hair and dropping his open palms in front of himself with indignation.

Mecha Phantom Beast Token ( **1** )

Blackfalcon's golden talons darts out from its ankles towards Number 51, its claws open, and clamps onto the monster. With great strength, Blackfalcon pushes Number 51 back to its owner's side of the field, squeezing it until it's forced to take a defensive stance.

Number 51: Finish Hold the Amazing: Rank 3 ATK/ 3300 DEF/0

"I place a card face-down and end my turn." The dude maintains a steady, menacing gaze on me, and I can't help but smile. I want to say something to further bruise his ego, but I couldn't come up with anything witty to say. I'm too happy that the duel is mine.

"My turn, I draw! Now, I activate the trap Fiendish Chain and target Number 51!" The Trap card flips up, a flurry of chains imbued with dark energy shoots out and entangles the wrestling golem.

"Fiendish Chain?! Isn't that an extremely rare card? What's a girl like you doing with that?" Mr. Amazing shudders.

"U-um…" I scratch my head absently. Wow, so Fiendish Chain is a rare card in the Yu-Gi-Oh world? I know that since the anime has a wider variety of archetypes and cards in general, some cards we expect to find in several decks in the Real World may be considered extremely rare in this world. I just didn't think Fiendish Chain is one of them.

"But why would you use that card on my monster? Fiendish Chain negates the ability of one Effect monster on the field while also locking its ability to attack", Mr. Amazing begins. "But Finish Hold is in Defense mode anyway, so it can't attack. And I have no overlay units to even try to use its ability again."

I open my mouth, but then close it. Should I tell him? Oh, what's the harm! "Numbers cannot be destroyed in battle unless it's with another Number, and that is considered an ability, so that is what I'm negating. So I can destroy it using my Dracossack. Speaking of which, I attack Number 51 with Dracossack! And it's at this time I activate my other face-down card: Sonic Boom!" The other face-down card I set last turn flips right-side up. "With this card, I choose one Mecha Phantom Beast monster on my field and double its attack power until the End Phase. Not only that, but it allows my monster to deal piercing damage to a monster in defense mode! And I choose Dracossack."

"Ha, using the exact same trick I used last turn?" Mr. Amazing says. "So what if you can somehow destroy my monster now? Well, that's not gonna work cuz I'm activating my trap Negate Attack, so your attack is canceled anyway."

"Not quite," I smile, giggles ready to bubble out of me. "The monster that's affected by Sonic Boom cannot be affected by other Spell or Trap cards!"

"Shit! No!"

"Dracossack, attack Number 51 and end this duel."

Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack: Rank 7 **ATK/5200** DEF/2200

The dragon aircraft flaps its wings, enveloping the battlefield in a gale, before diving at Number 51 at supersonic speed. What I don't account for is to be blown back from the force of its sonic boom. I didn't expect the Augmented Reality to be _that_ real. Dracossack lunges at Number 51 and deals the final blow. The monster explodes from the attack, sending Mr. Amazing flying into the red beam barricade with a hard thud, a strangled noise escapes his gaping mouth.

The Mysterious Mr. Amazing: 3000 = 0 **LOSE**

Daciana: 2000 **WIN!**

The Augmented Reality fades in the same wave of green light and numbers. I scurry to my feet and take off the Duel Gazer. On the far end, Mr. Amazing's still body slouches against the beams. I'm not convinced that he's dead from a blow like that, probably unconscious. Mr. Amazing's body glows in a teal light and a luminescent white rectangle materializes from his chest before gliding away from his body and into my hands. The whiteness of the shape fades into the actual card, revealing itself to be Number 51: Finish Hold the Amazing.

I sigh with weariness and fall back onto the ground, looking up at the quintessential blue sky with puffy clouds floating on by. So much has happened today in so little time – at least, it felt like little time. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. The screen reads 2:49pm. Heh, imagine every single day being like today. And I know from here on out, the anime alone won't be lacking any action, so pair that up with whatever the Arclights may have in store for me.

I muster up whatever strength I have left to put my newly-won Number into my deck case. I think I'll keep this fateful encounter a secret from the Arclights, maybe for as long as they are willing to keep the 'secret' of Numbers from me. I can probably use this to my advantage somehow. Like, say, I betray them and spring the fact that "hey, I can use Numbers, too, ya jerks!" Or maybe even to help them, if it comes to that. Sometimes, the best way to help an ally is to keep them in the dark.

I yawn. Everything I did today is finally catching up to me, so I let my eyelids close for a moment.

And in a way, I consider the Arclights allies if only because I know how the anime will go. And I still love them as characters regardless of whether they're good or evil. Their apprehension revolving around me, when you think about it, is completely understandable. I mean, the last thing I personally want is for a stranger to assert their unwanted presence into my family, agitate Gen, and thus sparking her angry tirade and getting me and Dahn caught up in it. The whole situation could have been avoided if the stranger simply learned to keep his/her nose in their own business and fend for themselves. So I can empathize with the Arclight's situation. But I also know their importance to future events; I can't just get up and leave!

"Goddamnit, kid!"

My eyes fling open and entire body shake violently to the sudden disruption of the still tranquility. Footsteps crunch rapidly through the grit and dirt somewhere…behind me? In a second, a high-pitched scream breaks the tranquil air as I'm being dragged to my feet by the roots of my box-braided hair. The sound whittles down to desperate mewls and tears well up in my eyes. I immediately close them shut to keep them from falling.

Silence, but then, a dark chuckle bubbles out from my captor. "What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing here?!" The captor – a guy – wrings at my hair, shaking me like how a pissed-off father would do to his child, and forces me to look directly at him. At first, I don't recognize him. I blink back the tears blurring my vision, and I see that he's wearing a burgundy hoodie that's several sizes too big; I think a black mariner underneath the hoodie since the opening is wide enough to reach his shoulders; black sweats, and black sunglasses. If it weren't for his tan, Arab-like complexion and the maroon and blonde hair that falls out from the hoodie, I wouldn't have known that this is Quattro.

"Who's that dude over there?" By now, Quattro's breathing is more even and controlled, but I can tell he's still livid by how he rushes through the question. He tightens his grip on my hair, and I bite down on my lips to keep myself from screaming.

I squeeze my hands together near my mouth. "U-um, earlier – I accidently bumped into him! A-and he was tryna pick a fight with me. It's cuz of him that I lost sight of Trey!" I give rapid-fire answers, hoping to God that they would be sufficient for Quattro. They sound bare-bones, so much so that I kinda wanna kick myself if Quattro isn't convinced, but then again, I don't want to tell Quattro that I willingly went along with this thug and dueled him. If I did, I don't think Quattro has the moral or social restraint to _not_ beat up a little girl if he feels it necessary.

Quattro loosens his grip on me, but not without flicking me off with his palm. "Hurry up and get your shit so we can go home."

And I do. Quattro snatches my white paper bag once I return to his side, pulling out a random pastry and stuffing his face. I would protest, but then again, it kinda is my fault he's here. And I don't want him to stress out my hair roots any more. With that, we walk back to the hotel, leaving the Mysterious Mr. Amazing behind.

The walk back is silent, not that I care. I'm just happy Quattro doesn't decide to question the details of my day any further, or else I might back myself into a corner where I would have to tell him about the Number I won. Speaking of the Number, I don't remember Number 51: Finish Hold the Amazing being in the anime or the manga. As a matter of fact, I don't think this Number has ever been released in the TCG, let alone the OCG. And yet it is here in my deck box, previously held by another duelist influenced by its power. I mean, yeah Yuuma and Astral ends up having all the Numbers by the end of the arc, but there is no doubt there are a lot of Numbers we don't see them obtain. Numbers exclusive to the manga are some of them, and even then, there are a good amount of Numbers that have never been discovered at all.

"Can you, like, stop making those expressions?" Quattro interrupts my train of thought. "You look disturbed! At least keep your weirdness a secret in public."

I raise a brow. Is that supposed to be advice from one crazy person to another? And what's up with his clothes?! I've never seen – or expected – Quattro dress so casually. Oh well. Anyways, this day has been fruitful in unexpected ways. I smirk to myself, stroking my chin. I finally know what to do from now on: gather more information on this dimension as well as other Numbers – new or old – since all the important players in the plot will be hunting Numbers, too. Oh! And then there's Dahn. I wonder where he could be. I hold a balled hand to my lips. Is he even in Heartland City? Oh well, I guess I'll find out in my search for the plot. I'm sure he's doing fine…somehow.

Ugh, I finally manage to get this chapter out! XD

Also, for those who may not know, _ginga_ (pronounced _jinga_ ) is the starting stance for people who practice _capoiera_ , a type of martial arts that looks like dancing when executed. SO basically Daciana goes into a duel as if she were going to fight someone. Dante's the same way when you'll see in future chapters.

Also also, Number 51 is indeed an official card that actually came out recently (along with other Numbers), so I will be incorporating the new Numbers into the story.

Also also also, before anyone complains, I'll say this: I don't care what anybody says. I believe Quattro is mixed with either Indian or Middle Eastern. I mean, how can you _not_ see it? But that's just my opinion. Have a nIcE wHeEeEeEeEeEe...!


End file.
